21. Chapter 21
Chapter 21
T he following week, Bailey glanced around the nearly empty coffeeshop. No sign of Kia yet. She walked up to the counter and ordered an iced coffee. The barista set the drink on the counter and still no sign of Kia.
With drink in hand, she sat down at a table near the window so she could watch the people walking by. Several minutes later, Kia rushed into the cafe. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” She flopped into the vacant chair across from her. “Max stepped in dog poop and there was no way I was letting him into my car with that on his shoe. Then it became a whole thing.” She sighed.
“Yuck. I didn’t know you had a dog.”
“We don’t. The neighbor does and since Jeff’s front yard doesn’t have a fence, the neighbor thinks that means it’s fair game to let his dog wander over.”
Bailey wrinkled her nose. “Gross. I imagine you don’t live in one of those neighborhoods where it’s acceptable to flick it back in their yard.”
Kia snorted. “No, I don’t think that would go over well.”
“Bummer.”
“Although now that you mention it. I’m sure Jeff would love to tell the neighbor that’s what’s coming down the pipe if he doesn’t start cleaning up after his dog.” Kia pushed away from the table. “I’m just going to grab a drink and I’ll be right back.”
Bailey watched the other woman as she strolled up to the counter. Everything about Kia just screamed cool. From the tattoos to the edgy wardrobe, to the confident way she walked across the room like she didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of her. On the outside, they didn’t look like they would have much in common, but the more time she spent with Kia, the more she liked her.
Kia dropped back into her seat and took a long sip of her coffee. “Ah, now I feel human.” She closed her eyes, still holding her cup up near her mouth after taking a sip. Her eyes popped open and she took another sip before setting the cup down on the table. “Sorry. We have this ridiculous fancy coffee maker that Jeff had before we got together and the thing was on the fritz this morning and I couldn’t get it to work. I’m pretty handy, but I swear you need a freakin’ space degree to operate the thing. I’m digging my regular old Walmart special out of storage when I get home. I don’t care if he likes it. It’s unnatural not to have coffee first thing in the morning.”
“Agreed. I have caffeine running through my veins. I’m surprised they allow me to donate blood.”
“You donate blood? That’s cool. What made you decide to do that?”
“I’ve been doing it for the past decade, ever since my sister’s surgery.”
“Your sister needed a blood transfusion?”
“She needed part of my liver,” Bailey replied. “But when we were going through the process, I learned how much they needed blood, so…”
“Hold up.” Kia held up her hand. “You gave your sister part of your liver?”
Bailey shrugged. Why did people always look at her like that when they heard? It was her sister. Of course, she’d given her part of her liver. It grew back. Why wouldn’t she? “Yeah, she needed it.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Kia said. “You say that like it’s nothing. It’s your freakin’ liver.”
“It grows back,” Bailey said.
“Well, yeah, but still. That’s like some major surgery.”
Deliberately misunderstanding, she nodded. “It was a long road for her, but she’s doing really well now.”
Kia blinked at her. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact you donated part of your liver.”
“It’s really not that big a deal. My sister was really sick. She needed it. I was a match.”
“You were like what? 18?”
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit. How old was she?”
“21.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.” Kia leaned back in her chair and stared at Bailey for several seconds. “I can’t imagine anyone in my family doing that for me.”
“You’d be surprised what people will do for their loved ones when push comes to shove.”
Kia laughed, but it sounded hollow. “Yeah, I think we have very different families.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mine practically disowned me when I had Max, so I don’t think a liver would be on the table.”
“Are you kidding me? Why would they…” She didn’t even know how to finish that sentence. She couldn’t imagine her family disowning her. If her sister’s illness had shown her anything, it was how amazing her family was. Every single person in her family had been tested as a donor. Bailey had been the closest match.
“Like I said, we obviously had different family situations. But I’m doing everything I can to make sure Max has a family like yours.” Kia’s eyes welled up, and she blinked rapidly. “Shit.”
Bailey reached across the table and squeezed her new friend’s hand. “From what I hear from Gonzo and what I’ve seen so far, you’re doing an amazing job with him.”
“Thank you.” Kia stared at her and shook her head slowly.
“Okay, you need to stop looking at me like that.” She pointed a finger at Kia. “Don’t make me regret telling you.”
“I won’t. I promise. That’s just very cool. I knew I liked you, but now I like you even more.”
“Well, you’ve never tried to get between me and a chocolate bar when I have my period. It’s not pretty.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Kia took a sip of her coffee. “Thanks for doing this with me. I’m not really a formal dress kind of girl.”
“No problem. I’m surprised you didn’t ask Peyton or Kendall to come with you.”
“I thought about it, but I figured this would be a good chance for us to get to know each other better.”
“I love looking at all the pretty dresses. I can’t wear most of them, but I enjoy looking.”
“Why can’t you wear them?”
“Honestly? Most of the stores don’t carry my size.”
Kia’s forehead wrinkled. “That can’t be right. They have to.”
“Mmm. Not in my experience. I’m not exactly the average size.”
“True. How tall are you, anyway?”
It sucked that her first thought when Kia had said true was that she was talking about her weight. “5ft8.”
“I’m barely 5ft5.”
“Perfectly average.”
“Yep, that’s me, average.” Kia agreed.
“Other than your height, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing average about you.”
“Ah, aren’t you sweet?” She pushed off from the table. “Alright, you ready to do this?”
“Yep.”
They tossed their cups in the garbage on their way out of the cafe and onto the street out front.
“I figured we’d start there?” Kia pointed at a boutique shop with beautiful dresses in the window.
“Sounds good.” Bailey looked both ways for cars before jaywalking across the deserted street. As she pushed open the door, a little bell dinged, announcing their arrival.
The woman working in the store glanced up as Bailey walked in ahead of Kia. The woman’s gaze quickly scanned Bailey, then recoiled. It was like the derision on her face was so strongly offensive every sense felt the need to jump in and participate in its attempt to make sure Bailey knew she didn’t belong here. Fantastic. Looked like it was going to be one of those days. Thank god she wasn’t the one needing a dress.
Kia stepped into the store, and the employee tilted her head in acknowledgement.
As they walked past a rack of dresses, Bailey fingered the fabric of a beautiful purple silk dress. The color reminded her of the lavish bedding in Gonzo’s spare bedroom.
“You should try it on,” Kia said.
Bailey snorted. “I don’t think so.” In her experience, sheath dresses were not cut for curves, at least not her curves.
Kia wandered deeper into the boutique. She picked up a dark gray dress that at first glance appeared charcoal, but as the light hit the fabric, it shimmered like a crystal.
“That would be gorgeous on you,” Bailey said.
“You think?” Kia chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m supposed to be thinking color, not my normal black and gray.”
Bailey ran the shimmering fabric between her fingers. Up close, it definitely looked gray. She plucked it out of Kia’s hand and angled it slightly. The light hit the dress and it looked more green, then blue, then pink.
“Oh, it’s like a hologram,” Kia gasped. “I’m definitely trying that one on.” She draped the dress over her arm, then reached out and shifted through a few more dresses on the rack. As she pulled out a new dress, she turned toward the employee who was sitting at the counter playing on her phone. “Any chance you can start me a room?”
The girl rolled her eyes as she stood up. “Sure,” she sighed.
Kia made eye contact with Bailey. “Must suck to have to actually do your job,” she whispered. “Now I kind of want to make her work.” Kia’s tongue poked out between her teeth, and she grinned mischievously.
With three more dresses picked out, Kia made her way back to the change room. Bailey sat down on the plush lounge chair that was strategically placed facing the floor to ceiling mirror outside the dressing room.
“I want to see it,” Bailey called out. She turned her head and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Instantly, her hand shot out to fluff her hair even though there was nothing wrong with it. The light made her hair look more orange than its normal red. Frowning, she tilted her head slightly, allowing the light to catch her highlights and fluffed her hair again. That was better.
Kia walked out of the change room in a black sheath dress.
“Wow, that looks amazing on you,” Bailey said.
“Thanks.” Kia stepped in front of the mirror and ran her hand down the front of the dress, then cocked her head to the side as she studied herself. “I’m not sure.”
“We have a similar dress, but the neckline is much higher, so it would cover your chest tattoos. It might be more what you’re looking for,” the employee said.
Kia’s eyebrow arched. “Why would I want to cover up my sternum tattoo?”
Confused, the woman blinked at Kia. “I just thought it might be more appropriate for the event you were going to.”
Kia snorted. “I don’t attend that kind of event. Where I go, my tat’s go.”
Wow. Bailey was so envious of that kind of confidence. “The dress looks beautiful, but I thought you wanted some color?”
Kia adjusted the strap of the dress and studied herself in the mirror. “Yeah, I do. You know this would be more fun if you tried something on as well.”
“Somehow I think the dress would look a little different on me,” Bailey said.
“Well, of course it would, because your boobs are freakin’ insane. I’m so jealous.”
She was jealous of Bailey? That was a laugh. Kia looked amazing in the dress. There was no way Bailey wanted to attempt to slip into a dress, knowing how good her friend already looked in the same style.
Kia turned to the saleswoman. “Can you grab the purple dress like this you have out front for my friend?”
Bailey winced. “I don’t really know that this cut is the best one for me.”
“I agree,” the saleswoman said.
Kia glared at the saleswoman. “Isn’t that the whole thing with paying extra money for a dress like this? The quality of the fabric, the cut.” Kia flapped her arm. “Isn’t that the reason people shop at your store because quality covers a multitude of sins? Otherwise, people could just go to the mall.”
“Well, of course. There’s a tremendous difference in how a properly designed dress fits vs the cheap knockoffs that come off an assembly line.” The woman looked at Bailey. “But not all dresses look good on all body types.”
Bailey crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t really want to even try anything on.”
“Tough.” Kia glanced at the saleswoman. “Okay, I’ll give you that not every dress looks good on every body. I know I sure can’t pull off a mermaid cut. So you know your store. Can you grab something that will look good on her?”
“We wouldn’t have anything.”
“What?” Kia’s face wrinkled in confusion and Bailey slunk deeper into her seat.
“We don’t carry plus sizes,” the woman sneered.
“Plus size? What the hell?” Kia snapped, then flicked a glance at Bailey. “Oh, you weren’t kidding that they wouldn’t even carry double digits.”
“Nope.” Bailey muttered.
“Holy shit.” Kia looked at the salesperson and shook her head in disappointment before turning on her heel and walking back into the change room. A moment later, she stepped back out, dressed in her street clothes.
Bailey hopped out of her chair. “What are you doing?”
“We’re out of here. Let’s go.” Kia grabbed Bailey’s elbow and propelled her forward.
Bailey’s mind raced to catch up. “Why? You still haven’t tried on all the dresses.”
Kia turned to the saleswoman. “You work on commission, right?”
“Yes,” the woman replied.
“Big mistake. Huge.” Kia linked her arm with Bailey and pulled her toward the exit. Once they were on the street, Kia just grinned at her. “I feel like Julia Robert’s in Pretty Woman.”
“What?” What had just happened in there? One minute Kia was trying on dresses, the next they were out here.
“Pretty Woman? Come on.” Kia splayed her hands in front of her. “Are you kidding me? I freakin’ crushed that quote and you don’t even know what I’m talking about?”
“I’m still trying to figure out why you aren’t trying on that gray dress you loved. Just because they don’t have my size doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop there. Lots of stores don’t carry my size.”
“Bailey, you’re what, like a size 14? 16? That’s not even big. It’s fucking ridiculous in this day and age that a store doesn’t carry a range of standard sizes. Of course, they aren’t going to carry everything in every size, but come on. Not carrying any double-digit dresses is ridiculous. There are lots of stores out there. I don’t need to give my money to this one.”
“But—” Bailey stammered.
“No, I’m still trying to figure out how you didn’t get my movie reference. You’ve seen Pretty Woman, right?”
“Of course I have.” Bailey rolled her eyes. “I just didn’t really like it.”
Kia slapped her hand across her chest and stumbled backwards like she’d been shot. “What? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, it just wasn’t very realistic.”
“Wha—” Kia blinked as her mouth opened, then closed, and opened again. “I just—” She brought her hands up to her head and made an explosion sound like her head blew up. “It’s Pretty Woman.”
Bailey chuckled. “I know and you can keep saying it, but it’s not going to change anything. It was just a little too farfetched.”
“But that’s what made it so great.”
“Nope, sorry, that kind of stuff is what makes women buy into these unrealistic ideals about finding Prince Charming and all that bullshit.” Bailey wrinkled her nose. “No. In real life, the hooker doesn’t get the billionaire, the jock doesn’t date the brain and the hero doesn’t pick the fat girl. It’s just not how it works.” And she’d do well to remember that. She’d been spinning all these dreams around her and Gonzo and she was just kidding herself.
“Well, that’s just sad,” Kia muttered. “And I don’t buy it. I mean, look at me.” She flicked her hand toward her body. “Do I look like the stereotypical professional athlete’s girlfriend?” Before Bailey could even respond, Kia pressed on. “No, I don’t. I look like I belong in some biker bar or waiting outside a jail to pick up my boyfriend. Just ask my parents. But I’m not. I’m living in a house on the beach with my son and his father, living a dream I never imagined was possible. So no, I’m not going to stop believing in fairytales and you shouldn’t either.” Kia stepped in closer to her. “Bailey, I don’t know what made you so cynical, but what I do know is once you stop believing something is possible, it becomes impossible.” Kia nudged her with her hip. “Let’s go find another store.”
“Okay, but I think your little pep talk was enough for one day, so can we please just skip me trying on dresses with you and forgo the whole making stores see the error of their ways?”
Kia stared at her for several seconds. “Fine, but only if you promise to think about what I said.”
She didn’t think she’d be able to think about anything else. “I promise.”
“Good. Let’s go.”